Storm & Curse
by Kayl Darkwood
Summary: "There were storm clouds on the horizon. Big ones at that. They were closing in fast, and already dumping a lot of rain on the western part of the city. As I watched, a bolt of lightning flashed inside the clouds. This was going to be bad."
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! I'm Kayl. Welcome to my first -posted- fanfiction! I just want to inform you of a few things before it starts:**

**1) If you find a mistake, tell me and I'll correct it! I originally was going to tell this story in the third person, but somehow everything kept turning into first.  
2) I support constructive criticism, but not flames. I will respect your opinion, but not if you're going to insult me or my work.**

**I just wanted to get that out of the way...Now onto stuff about the actual story!**

**1) It's set about two or two and a half months before the Jellicle Ball. (it explains better in the second chapter).  
2) Everything is Movie Version, as I have never seen CATS actually preformed live *cries*  
3) I'm not telling who the main character is...you have to guess. xD  
**

**Alright, on to the fun stuff! ENJOY!  
**

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_**CHAPTER 1: LOST**_

I heard him coming down the pipe that lead into my den. I'd heard the sound a million times before. It was familiar, comforting.

At least, it would have been if I weren't so freaking tired. All I really wanted now was to be asleep. But that wasn't going to happen. There was too much noise traveling in from the junkyard.

I heard him hesitate when he entered.

I sighed. "It's alright. I'm awake." I said, and sat up, rubbing my eyes. Then I looked at him. He was a handsome silver and black tabby, and was lean, too.

He grinned at me. I knew it was fake, I could see it in his eyes, and the way he moved. Besides, he only ever came to my den when something was bothering him, or if something urgent was happening. Otherwise, he usually waited until I came out.

"Why are you still asleep, anyway? It's already past midday." he asked, sitting at the foot of the bed.

I rolled my eyes. "The kittens decided they wanted to stay with me last night. Then they decided to play instead of sleep, and kept me up until daybreak."

He grinned wider. "They are a rowdy bunch,"

"You're telling me. Oh, well. Maybe Jenny'll get mad at me and not let them come back over."

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes, but he didn't reply.

There was a silence between us. It wasn't awkward, just quiet. I could hear the other cats moving about the junkyard, stopping to talk here and there to each other.

Finally, I broke it, my curiosity getting the best of me. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Nothing." He replied, after hesitating. "I was just wondering where you were," He gave me that forced grin again, and stood up.

"Oh, okay." I said, as he walked to the door. Then I shrugged. "Well, you know where to find me." He would come to me in his own time, he always did.

He nodded his goodbye, and climbed back up the pipe.

I lay back down, stretching as I did. Over the next hour and a half, I tried to sleep, but couldn't. For one, the noise outside had doubled. From the sound of it, I assumed Mistoffelees was showing off his magic again. Maybe he had some new tricks up his sleeve. And for two, the sun had lowered enough to shine directly into the den. If it weren't such a hot day, I would have enjoyed it. But now, it was just making it uncomfortable.

Reluctantly, I stood, and slinked my way slowly outside. The sun temporarily blinded me, but when I got my vision back, I saw that what I had assumed was right. Mistoffelees was in the center of the junkyard, performing his magic. All of the kittens were gathered around him, as well as most of the older cats.

I snuck quickly into the shadows, not wanting to be used as an 'assistant'. Quietly, I climbed to my vantage point. It was the spot only I could reach, the highest in the yard. To get there, I had to go through several small cracks and openings, and only I was small enough to fit. A chair with an old cushion was on the very top, sitting on a crate. On days like this, when the sun was just too hot, I could lay underneath the chair. And, fortunately for me, I was very hard to spot from below.

I lay down on the crate. It wasn't much cooler under there, but at least it was shade. Again, I tried to sleep, but again, it evaded me. The heat, and now the wind had picked up a little. I sighed and sat up.

I could see the whole yard from there. Mistoffelees had finished his show, and had retreated to the shade to rest. The others were scattered about the yard.

"Just another boring day in the Junkyard…" I thought.

Deciding to try and do something useful, I began scanning. I often acted as the unofficial sentry of the Tribe, though no one knew it. I glanced up from the rest of the cats and to the entrance. Nothing. No movement at all. I kept going, looking at the skyline.

There were storm clouds on the horizon. Big ones at that. They were closing in fast, and already dumping a lot of rain on the western part of the city. As I watched, a bolt of lightning flashed inside the clouds. This was going to be bad.

I allowed myself a low growl at them. For one, I hated storms. Hated the rain, the bright flashes, the loud noise that they brought with them. And two, I had just gotten comfortable. Now I had to go tell someone.

Jumping down, I landed on perch after perch, until I hit the ground. I glanced around. No one seemed concerned. There was a tense air about the place, though. After looking for a minute, I decided to get on with it. One of the older queens was watching me with a disapproving look. She had obviously witnessed me jumping around on the junk.

I went to her, and told her. But of course, the queen, Jellylorum, didn't believe me. They never did. After a good three minute lecture, I tried a couple more, but got the same response every time. "Let the older cats worry about storms. Why don't you just run along and play?"

I decided to give up on that, and go find the one person that _would _believe me. I cast a careful eye over the yard, not seeing him in any of the usual places. Then I noticed that Mistoffelees was looking back at me.

I went over to him.

He smiled. "Hey. What's up?"

"Storm's coming. Have you seen my brother?" I replied, returning his grin. I'd always liked him. He was normally about as shy as I was. But when he was performing, it was like he was a different cat. I sort of envied that.

The small, black and white cat nodded, looking thoughtfully at the sky. "Everyone looked a little tense today. I guess that's why… Anyway, try Jenny's. I think he took one of the kittens to her."

I grinned wider. "Thanks." I turned and left, but not before hearing him mutter something along the lines of, "…the youngest in the tribe…"

I rolled my eyes. _You are only 3 months old. Even Etcetera is older than you._

"I know," I said to myself. "Quit reminding me," I put up with a lot of getting blamed, getting teased, and just all around "when you're older," crap. And frankly, I hated it. I knew that the older cats knew I was more mature, more capable of understanding things than the others. But only Munkustrap seemed to give me any leeway. All the others treated me the same way as they did the other kittens.

I arrived outside Jenny's den, and was about to announce my arrival when Jenny came outside, nearly knocking us both over.

"Oh, sorry dear. Didn't see you there. Did you need something?" she asked, steadying herself. She was an older orange gumbie, and was dubbed the caretaker of the kittens, along with Jellylorum, and the healer of the group.

"Have you seen Munkustrap?"

"Yes. He's inside, giving Pouncival a talking to." Jenny replied, shaking her head. "Do you know what he's done now?"

I grimaced, "I don't think I want to," That kitten was known for getting in the worst trouble, second only to Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, the resident thieves/con artists.

A low rumble flitted on the lower reaches of my hearing. Whether it was the storm or not, I couldn't be sure, but it sparked a new urgency into me. Jenny didn't seem to notice.

"May I go in?"

"Of course, dear. But don't blame me if you get your ear chewed off." Jenny then said goodbye and left.

I went in, and found Munkustrap towering over the poor kitten, who was cowering below. Pouncival gave me a pleading look.

I shook my head in pity. He probably deserved whatever punishment Munkustrap was about to hand. Then I said, "Am I interrupting something?"

Munkustrap glanced at me, surprised, then his face turned to a glare. Pouncival threw a mutinous look, thinking he was being betrayed.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Go wait outside." Munkustrap said, sternly.

Another one of those rumbles passed through my ears. It was a little louder than the last, but not so loud that the others heard.

"There's a storm coming fast. You might want to warn everyone." I said, ignoring my brother's orders. Normally, this was a bad thing to do, and it showed on both their faces.

Munkustrap's eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell anyone?" there was an edge to his voice.

"I did," I replied between gritted teeth, glaring right back, which was also a bad idea. "No one believed me. All I got was, 'Not now,' or 'Let the grown ups worry about storms,'."

He softened at my anger, forgetting his. He knew I hated being treated like a kitten, even though, technically, I was one. And he knew how mad I could get when I was treated like that for a long period of time.

"Alright, let's go warn the others."

Behind him, Pouncival, who had been watching the exchange fearfully, sighed in relief.

"You're not getting out of it," Munkustrap said over his shoulder. "Come on. I'm calling a meeting."

We ran back to the main area and started collecting everyone. When that was finished, Munkustrap stood on the old tire that Misto had been using as a stage. "There's a storm coming," he said. "You lot best head home, or to higher ground. From what I hear, there's a lot of water heading straight for us."

Some of the queens I had spoken to earlier were glaring daggers at me. They were probably wondering how I had influenced Munkustrap into giving out a false warning. Some of the others looked disbelieving. Munkustrap caught onto that, and turned to Tantomile and Coricopat, the psychic twins of the tribe.

They were both silent for a minute. Then, they announced, in both the ears and minds of their listeners (which always creeped me out), that what Munkustrap was telling the truth.

It was then that the storm decided to let off a loud rumble. It sent chills up my spine. I lay my ears back and hissed a little. Munkustrap glanced at me, then back at the tribe. "Get going. It won't be long before the storm reaches us."

With that, they scattered. I stayed near my brother, who, like any good protector, waited until everyone was gone.

"Come on," He said, as an even bigger rumble echoed throughout the city.

We raced towards our home, which was a ways away. Even though I had more brains than your average kit, that's exactly what I was. I wasn't as fast as my lanky brother, and I stumbled often. He stayed back with me, though, only moving ahead when there was an obstacle that forced us to go single file.

One such obstacle was the ledge near the gully that cut through town. We both paused at the edge. Any other day, it would be dry as a bone. But right now, there was a flood of water rushing through it, fast. It was so high, that it was splashing water onto the ledge, making our footing extremely dicey. I could already feel the first rain drops beginning to fall, and gave a worried look at the sky. This could get even uglier if it decided to open up before we got all the way across.

"You go first. Be careful," Munkustrap said, eying the water warily. I slowly began making my way across the small ledge. It was slick, and we went slow. Every so often, when I would hesitate, my brother would give me a few words of encouragement, like "Keep it up," or "You're fine."

Suddenly, a bright flash lit up the area, followed immediately by a loud clap of thunder. I jumped so hard I lost my footing, and slipped, my back legs going over the edge.

I heard Munkustrap yell something, but couldn't make it out. My ears were still ringing. I frantically grabbed at the ledge, using my tiny claws as much as I could. But the ledge was worn smooth by years of water running onto it, and I was falling fast. My heart was thumping in my ears, and I knew, just knew, that I wouldn't be able to hold on.

Munkustrap then had me by the scruff of my neck, and was trying to pull me out. He was slipping, I could feel it. I scrambled with my back legs, which was a mistake. One of them got caught up in the water, which ripped me out of my brother's grip, and plunged me into the icy depths of the monster. I could feel myself being taken down deeper and farther away, bouncing off whatever had got caught up before me. I was turned over and over, and got so dizzy I retched. No matter how much I struggled, I couldn't seem to find a way to the surface. My lungs began screaming in protest, and felt like they were on fire. All of me did.

Soon, I was too weak to fight anymore, and my brain was going fuzzy with the lack of air. I just gave up. I knew it would take a miracle, or two, to get me out of this.

"_Please," _I prayed._ "Just let Munkustrap be okay."_

That was my last thought before my mind went black.

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**That didn't look so long in Word...Anyways, hope you liked it! I know it's a little slow, but hopefully it'll pick up some (as I only have a vague idea as to where this is going). Don't forget to Review, please!  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Hiya! Welcome to the second chapter! This one is really short, as it's mostly setting up for the next chain of events. This chapter is dedicated to Roselna! Thanks for reviewing my last chapter. (By the way, you're close, but no cigar!)**

**Anyways, Enjoy!  
**

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**CHAPTER 2: FOUND**

I dreamed. Always of the same thing. His face, his eyes, so full of panic, fear, dread. And the cold, the spinning, the burning.

I could feel myself beginning to wake, the edges of my consciousness swimming with blurry images and sounds. I recognized that I was warm, and comfortable. But I was weak. I couldn't move just yet. I could hear, though. And the sounds were of quiet whispering. There was someone near me.

I summoned as much strength as I could and cracked open an eye. At first I was blinded by a white light, then my vision became clearer.

I was in a crate of some kind. It was huge, like it was meant for a big dog. A couple of bowls were sitting just outside. I was laying on several blankets, near the middle of it, staring up into a white room. There was a tall table in the middle, and more crates on the far wall. I couldn't tell if they were occupied or not.

Suddenly, a face appeared on the other side of the wires. I jumped, then hissed as pain became evident at the top of my shoulder.

The face smiled. It was human, not much older than my twenty-something owner. She had long brown hair, and looked friendly enough. She tried to soothe me with calming words, like "It's alright, sweetheart,"

I tried to stand, but my legs weren't working. Nothing would.

The human smiled wider. Then she unlatched the cage and gently picked me up. I tried to twist out of her grip, but I ended up just mewing pitifully.

She looked down at me. "I'm not going to hurt you, little one."

She took me to the table, and placed me onto it. I struggled to get up again, and this time managed it, barely. I was wary about taking a step, though. I could feel myself shaking some, and my shoulder was killing me. I fought back a wave of nausea.

The human began examining my wound. I let her, just trying to stay upright. I knew I was in no condition to escape just yet, but I couldn't help that being the first thing on my mind. I needed to get back to my brother. I wondered if he was alright, or if he had gotten swept away too. But I vaguely remembered that he had still been on the ledge when I'd hit the water. I shuddered as I thought of that dream, realizing that it probably wasn't really a dream. To see my brother so frightened…I shuddered again.

"It's alright," I heard the human mutter. She was watching me with some concern. "Your shoulder will be fine, just try not to push it too hard." she said, petting my head gently. "You can't be any older than 3 months old." then she started laughing.

I looked at her like she was insane. She caught on. "Sorry. You're my only customer right now." she glanced around to the empty cages. "Sometimes my patients are the only ones I have to talk to."

I mewed at her. I just realized that I was starving. I didn't know how long I'd been out, but the gnawing pain in my stomach said that it must have been days.

She couldn't comprehend what I wanted, so I looked purposely at the bowls outside my cage. I mewed again.

"Oh!" she said. "You're hungry!" she lifted me down, and set me on the floor. Then she went to the cage and brought the bowls. Carefully, she set them in front of me.

I gobbled up whatever it was in the food bowl, then took a couple drinks of water. The food had given me a little bit of strength. I felt much better. Now I turned my thoughts to my most pressing matter: escape.

I glanced around. There was a window to my left, with curtains just low enough for me to reach. The window was cracked some, and looked like it hadn't been moved in quite some time.

The human had gone into a different room, but she'd left the door open a crack. I walked as fast as I could to it, not trusting myself to run. I was just about to slip through when it opened, revealing the human.

She bent down and scooped me up. "No you don't," she said, placing me back in front of the food bowl. She then kneeled down so she wasn't towering over me so much. I glared at her, more for my frustrations at being small and unable to fight than anything.

She patted my head. "Sorry, little one. I know you've been here two and a half weeks already, but you'll have to stay for a few more days."

I glared harder, my ears going back just a tad. _Two and a half weeks? _Now I had even more of a reason to of my thoughts went to Munkustrap. _Does he even know I'm alive? _I had to get out of there. And I had to do it tonight.

My plan already set in motion, I played along with the human all afternoon, trying a few more times to escape through the door. After I hadn't done it for a while, she decided that I wasn't going to try and escape again, and let me stay out of the cage that night.

As soon as she saw that I was comfortable within the cage, she turned out the light and shut the door. I grinned. My plan worked brilliantly. I waited almost half the night before It was a good thing I did, too. She came in to check on me a couple times.

When the time came, I snuck over to the window, and began climbing the curtains, which she had stupidly left there. I hissed and growled a little as the pain in my shoulder returned.

I reached the sill, and jumped onto it. For a split second, I had a terrifying flash of the night of the storm. But then my claws caught and I pulled myself up. I examined the crack. It would be a sort of tight fit, but I could make it. I squeezed my way through, and dropped to the ground, grunting as I landed.

I looked around. I had no idea where I was. I didn't know how I was going to get back to the Junkyard, but staying there wasn't going to help. I set off down the street, looking for anything familiar.

I walked for hours, resting every so often. My shoulder was throbbing painfully. I sighed, and looked up at the moon. "At least I have you,"

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**Yes, it was very slow and very short. But I PROMISE, things will pick up in the next chapter! Don't forget to review! xD**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again! First off, thanks to Roselna for reviewing again! (By the way, you're welcome!) **

**This chapter is dedicated to HumanGuineaPig, who also reviewed the last chapter! Thank you!**

**Ok, so this is where it starts to get fun!**

**DISCLAIMER (because I don't think I put them on any of the other chapters): I own nothing!**

**ENJOY!

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**CHAPTER 3: LOST AND FOUND**

I had just gotten up from a rest, trying desperately to ignore my pain, when I heard something in a nearby alleyway. It sounded like a couple of cats speaking to one another. Something, I don't know what, told me to go down there, but to proceed with caution.

The alley smelled, and had human trash all over it. I wrinkled my nose as the smell got worse, but kept going. There was a large dumpster to my right, and the voices were coming from the other side of it.

Carefully stepping around an abandoned pizza box, I crept to the dumpster. The voices were louder now, and I could just make out what was being said.

"On the night of the Jellicle Ball, I will capture Old Deutoronomy, and force him to let me into the Heaviside Layer!" one, it sounded like the leader, was saying. "Once I'm in, I can be reborn into a newer, more powerful being!"

The others laughed along with him. "They'll never see this coming!" one said, cackling with laughter.

"Sir, when is the ball?" another asked. He sounded a lot stupider than his companion.

"In two months, you idiot!" the leader growled. That was followed by a yelp of pain.

I bit the inside of my cheek. I'd heard the older Jellicles talking about an evil cat, one that was the master of crime. He was despised by them of course. And they were planning to capture our father, at the ball, no less. My heart started beating fast. _Two months? But…_

Something suddenly started scuffling around inside the box I had just avoided. near me, cutting off my thoughts. I jumped around, accidently striking the dumpster. A resounding BONG echoed throughout the alley.

The next thing I knew, I was being sat on by the same cat I'd been spying on.

He was a ginger, but his fur was dirty, like he'd been neglecting it. And his eyes were sunken in. He was scary looking, especially with his face inches away from mine.

"What do we have here? A little kitten has been eavesdropping on our conversation." He snarled. His claws were digging into my legs. I bit back a wince.

"I thought I heard a rat. I came to see if I could catch it," I said.

Unfortunately for me, he picked up on the double meaning. He placed his mouth extremely close to my ear, but far enough away that he could still look me in the eye. "You won't be catching anything, ever, again." he whispered. With each word, his claws dug deeper into my skin.

I finally couldn't take it anymore and let out a yowl. The ginger laughed, and grabbed me around the neck, lifting me clean off the ground. I couldn't breathe. He then threw me into the nearest solid object, which happened to be a brick wall.

I let out a gasp as I hit, and heard something crack. Pain shot up my legs. Stars burst in front of my eyes, I was disoriented, but not out completely.

I heard him say something, but only caught the last few words. "…strong one. Let's see how much it takes to kill her." then all I heard was laughter.

The next thing I felt was my back being split open like a human would gut a fish. After initially registering the pain, I blacked out, my small body not being able to take it.

I don't know how long they tortured me, or when they decided to stop. I don't know how long I lay there afterwards. But I could hear their laughter echoing throughout my head.

Again, I began to recognize that I was coming to consciousness before I actually did. Only this time, I wasn't warm and comfortable. I was cold, and every part of me hurt. It felt like I was on fire. I lay there for a minute, wondering why I wasn't dead yet.

Then something inside me told me to get up. I could hear it, like there was a small little voice inside my head, encouraging me to get up, to get back to the tribe.

I struggled to stand, but the pain was too much, I couldn't. The little voice told me to try again, to give myself over to instincts for a while. It convinced me that it was the only way to avoid the pain.

That's what I did. I didn't think, I didn't register anything except that I needed to get to the Junkyard. I wandered for a long time, I think. It could have been days, I just didn't know. It worked. I didn't feel anything.

But then suddenly, I was back in control, and I collapsed. My body just refused to go on. The pain had me whining, and nearly out again.

I looked around. I was in a place I felt like I knew. The little voice told me I knew it. But I couldn't register it. It was nighttime, and I couldn't see very far.

I decided on one last ditch effort to be found, and yelled as loud as I could within my mind. I knew that the psychic cats might hear, if they were listening. Logic told me that they had probably given up by now, that everyone must think I was already dead.

_I'm sorry, Munk. I'm sorry. _I cried. I wouldn't make it back to him, to anyone. I was going to die here, this time, I knew it was the truth. I knew I couldn't get lucky twice. I wished I was dead. I really did. Then the pain would go away, I wouldn't have to suffer anymore. I would be free. I wouldn't have to worry, or be scared.

But I stayed conscious, despite the pain, despite the longing to escape it. I couldn't move, my body was too weak. So I just lay there, waiting for death to take me.

Soon, I stopped crying, and just tried to sleep.

But a new sound stopped me. The sound of running. Someone speaking. I cracked my eyes open. There were shapes moving just down the street, just beyond my sight. I tried to edge back, regretting it instantly. A small whimper escaped me, and my eyes blurred with tears.

The shapes paused, as if they were listening. I didn't know whether they were friendly or not. They started moving towards me. I blinked away the tears, but more just filled them. Then I heard something familiar. A voice. It was quiet, and claming. It didn't sound like Munk, but it was giving orders.

"Go back to the Junkyard and get a bigger tom. Alonzo or Tugger. And tell Jenny to be ready."

"What about Munkustrap? He's still missing…" another voice, a female's.

"We'll find him as soon as we take care of her,"

I heard one leave, and one pad closer. Then he gently nuzzled my face with his. I now recognized it.

"Can you hear me?" Misto asked.

I blinked, and was rewarded with his smile. He then lay down next to me, careful not to touch the hurt spots. His body next to mine was comforting, it gave me hope, and warmth. With his body next to mine, I realized I was shaking almost violently.

He began to sing, soft and sweet. He was lulling me into sleep. And I was complying. I couldn't help it. I was almost completely gone when I heard shouting. Misto's quiet voice answered, then I felt myself being moved, being picked up and carried. I whined, hearing whoever was carrying apologize.

I was taken to Jenny's den. There, she took care of my wounds, and I felt the pain dissipate. I was still weak, and moving still hurt, but I was more alert, more able to focus.

"All done," Jenny said, leaning back. She'd been fixing up some of the minor cuts I had. It was extremely early, and she'd been up all night mending the more serious injuries.

She made me sleep after that, even though I had become more alert. "At least for a while, then you can ask questions, ok?"

I nodded, my eyelids were already beginning to droop, despite my arguments.

When I woke, it was around mid-afternoon. There were also voices coming from the doorway.

"Jenny?" I asked. My voice was a little raspy from not using it in a while.

"Yes?" She came bustling back in, concern lining her face. When she saw I was fine, she sat down next to me.

"How long was I…gone?"

She looked at me. There was pain in her eyes, which she tried her best to hide from me. "It would have been three weeks tomorrow. I don't think we ever would have known you were alive if the twins hadn't heard you last night."

I gave her a quick smile. "Remind me to thank them,"

She nodded. I noticed that the pain she was trying to hide had lessened when I smiled.

"Does Munkustrap know that I'm here?"

Jenny sighed. "They've been trying to find him, with no luck. He disappeared about two days ago. I don't know where he ran off to,"

I knew. It was the one place he always goes when something's bothering him, or just to get something off his chest.

"Can I go to my den? It's close enough so you can still keep an eye on me, and it's more comfortable." I asked, phrasing my argument carefully.

"I'd really rather you stay here,"

It took some strategic arguing to finally convince her to let me go. She helped me up, and lead me outside. I winced and grunted frequently, but refused to stop. The other cats were all up, but, thankfully, many of them weren't there. The kittens bounded up to me, though.

After assuring them I was alright, and promising to tell them what happened later, we continued on our way.

I finally made it over to the entrance of my den, and walked inside. Jenny was right behind me, as the pipe wasn't wide enough for two.

Inside, I found my brother. He was curled up on the bed, fast asleep. He looked like he needed it. He also looked like he hadn't eaten for quite some time.

Jenny was surprised. "How did you know he was here?"

I grinned. "Just did. You might want to go tell the others that we found him,"

She nodded, but threw me a worried glance.

"I'll be fine. Especially with him here,"

She couldn't argue with that. "Just be careful. Don't move around too much," then she left.

I made my way to the bed, and curled up beside him, wondering how long it would take for him to awake.

Not long, as it turned out. I hadn't been there two seconds when he jumped up, and off the bed, hissing.

I watched him with a grin, and his face change from anger, to surprise, to relief. Then he rushed up and began licking my face, and rubbing against me.

"Careful!" I hissed, as he accidentally got one of my wounds.

"What happened?" He asked, a hardness coming into his voice. "It wasn't the water..?"

"No, the water didn't do it.." I then proceeded to tell him everything that had happened after I'd woken up. I had just gotten to the part where I heard the Evil Cats talking, when my mind went blank.

"And?" Munkustrap prompted. He was laying next to me again, close enough I could feel him, but not enough to actually touch me.

I thought hard. I knew I'd heard something down an alley. I knew I went to check it out. I knew they hurt me afterwards. But I couldn't remember anything in between that.

"Well, it'll come back to you," he said. "Don't push yourself,"

I sighed. Then asked him the tough question. "Did you really think I was dead?"

He was caught off guard, but didn't even try to hide it. "Not at first," he answered slowly. The pain in his voice was hard to listen to, but I had to know. "But then, after a while, it…it just…seemed impossible…that anyone, especially a kitten, would have survived…" He paused, and placed his forehead on mine. "I'm just glad you're home. The others gave up looking for you a week ago. Well, except for Misto and Victoria."

"I know Misto found me. And I think Victoria was the one who went back for help. I don't know who carried me back, and Jenny said the twins heard my crying for help."

Munkustrap nodded, taking in all the information, and turned towards the entrance. Someone was coming in.

Turned out to be Misto. He gave us a smile. "Jenny said you were both down here."

I smiled back, which caused his smile to widen a little.

"Well, just thought I'd warn you. Everyone has heard you're back, so you'll probably get a steady stream of visitors today,"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Munkustrap replied.

I sighed, contently. Munk was trying to protect me, to let me heal.

Misto seemed put out, but he would listen to Munk. "Then you're going to be the one to tell the kittens. They're all dying to know what happened."

I grinned behind Munkustrap's back. He was soft-hearted when it came to the kits. It wouldn't be easy for him. "Fine, whatever. Just no visitors until Jenny says,"

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**Sometimes I amaze myself at how long these chapters are! I just realized how lame the chapter titles are. Wasn't really thinking that one through. Oh well. Don't forget to review, please! xD**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, here's the next chapter! Sorry I didn't get it done yesterday...the plot bunnies made me post the "America's Got Talent" Idea instead of this. xD**

**Anyway! Roselna, thank you for reviewing again. By the way, you were right the first time. And I think you have Demeter and Jemima confused. Jemima is the kitten, Dem is the queen.**

**Onwards!**

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**CHAPTER 4: CHOICE**

**_One month later._**

I was curled up in my den, glaring daggers at the entrance. Jenny had just left, in tears, and with a couple of scratches. We had been arguing, again. It was her fault. She was the one who kept me trapped down here, not able to see anyone except for her and Munkustrap. She said herself that I was getting better, and at a remarkable pace. So why wouldn't she let me get out of this torture chamber? Why keep everyone away from me? It's not like my wounds were contagious.

"Hardly," I growled, and paced around. I was restless, and needed to get out. What's more, my headache had returned.

I cursed it. It had been happening since the day after I'd gotten back. Munkustrap had asked if I remember any of what those evil cats had said. As I tried to recall, the headache had come. At first, I thought it was because I was just thinking to hard, or that I was still weak with exhaustion. But then it kept happening, and kept getting worse. I didn't know what was causing it.

_Maybe it's your temper. It does seem to flare every time you get one._

I attacked some random piece of trash that had been in the corner. The wound on my shoulder caused me to stumble and smack my head on the wall.

"Great," I said to myself. "Just what I need, another reason for them to keep me here."

I tried to ignore the pain, but it stayed stuck there, like an annoying fly. I had just sunk down on my bed when Munkustrap entered, and he looked very mad.

"What?" I asked, shooting him a glare.

"What did you do to Jenny?" he asked evenly, biting back his anger, for now.

I turned away. "We had an argument, she got upset." I shrugged.

"That's not what she said. She said you attacked her."

Now I was beginning to get annoyed. Angrily, I replied, "Well, that's what happened! Now get out!" The pain in my head doubled, but I ignored it.

He took a couple steps towards me. "What has gotten into you? All she does is take care of you, and this is how you repay her? By yelling at her and hurting her?"

"All she does is keep me trapped in this hell-hole!" I shot back. I was on my feet now, my back arched and my ears lying flat.

"That's because…."

I cut him off, too mad to even let him speak. " 'Because you're not completely healed yet,' I know! I've heard it twenty thousand times! But that doesn't explain why you're keeping me locked up and cut off from everyone!"

"Will you just…"

"No! I'm through listening! I'm through with this whole place!"

I took him by surprise and shot out the door, running as fast as I out of the den. I passed some very surprised cats, including Jenny. I made for the entrance of the junkyard. The wound in my shoulder ached horribly. It was the reason I had not been allowed out. It just wouldn't heal.

He was right behind me in a matter of seconds. I could hear his feet over the pounding of my headache. I could also sense him, sense where he was, how far back he was. And when he pounced.

I dodged him, just barely escaping. He came after me again.

I knew he was faster. I knew he had more stamina. I turned a corner, the dodged through a small crack in a fence, one I knew he couldn't get through. There were no other cracks, and he couldn't get over it either.

I stopped in the middle of whoever's yard I was in, and looked back. I wished I hadn't. He was watching me. There was something in his eyes that I couldn't make out. I felt a stinging on my arm. One of the other wounds on my arm had re-opened. It wasn't big, but it sobered me, made me come back to my senses.

He seemed to realize this, too, and called out to me.

I hesitated. In this moment, I noticed the headache was gone, as was the pain in my shoulder. That's what frightened me, what kept me from going to him.

He saw the hesitation. "Come on. You're okay. I promise I won't pounce you,"

I took an involuntary step towards him. He kept encouraging me, telling me it was going to be alright. But I couldn't. I couldn't go back and face them, after what I did to Jenny. I was scared. Scared that I might attack one of the others, and maybe hurt them worse. No, I wouldn't go back. Not until I had this figured out.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry," It surprised me how much my voice wavered.

"I won't let you hurt anyone."

His words caught me off guard. "How…?"

"The twins. Come on. Come home." There was a desperate air in his voice, now. Almost too desperate.

"I…I can't." I said, tearing my eyes away from him. His words were tempting. I knew he, and the others for that matter, would help as best they could. I knew that they'd all been frantic with worry when I went missing. And I knew that they would be the same way if that happened again.

But the fear stirred within me again. _What if Munkustrap couldn't stop me?_ _What if I did hurt someone else? What if it was worse than last time? And what if I accidentally killed one of them?_

I shook my head, trying to clear it. "I…I need some time to think it over…" I said, venturing a glance at him.

He nodded. "Take as long as you need. But…" he hesitated, as if wondering whether to say it.

"But what?" I asked.

He hung his head a little, his eyes still on me. "If…if you do decide to leave, will you come back and tell me?"

I watched him for a moment. This was his soft side, the side he usually didn't show to the rest of the Tribe. Only me. "Yes, I will." I answered.

Relief flooded him, visibly. "Thanks. I'll see you then, I guess."

I watched him walk away. It took all I had not to go running after him.

I didn't go back to the Junkyard that afternoon, or that night. I didn't sleep either. I was trying to decide what to do.

_If you hurt one of them, they'll forgive you. You know that._

"But what would happen if I killed someone?"

_You won't. Just stay near Munkustrap. He's faster, stronger. He'll be able to stop you._

I sighed. The little voice was convincing. But then again, so was the fear, the dread.

The sun was just beginning to come over the horizon, covering the city in a faint orange light. I stood. I had made my decision.

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**Ooh, will she leave the tribe? Or go back, knowing the risks she faces? =D Hope you liked it! Review please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright, first of my uploading spree! I dedicated all of today to finishing this, so I hope you like it!**

**Thank you to HumanGunieaPig and Roselna both for being so full of awesome!**

**ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

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**CHAPTER 5: DECISION**

I walked back to the junkyard, my shoulder stinging every so often. The sun was fully up when I got there, and it was already hot on my back.

Munkustrap was waiting by the entrance. He was only half awake, which told me he stayed up all night. He'd been waiting.

I went up to him, and placed my forehead on his chest, the highest point I could reach. He lowered his head, and placed it on mine, just like when I was little. Well, little-_er._ He didn't speak, but I could feel his heart racing.

"I'll stay, but only if you agree to some conditions." I said after a moment.

"Anything," he replied.

I backed up, and looked him in the eye. "First off, you have to swear that if I go crazy and start attacking someone, you'll use _whatever means necessary _to stop me."

He stared back, determination lighting the flame I often saw in him. "I promise,"

"And that goes for the rest of them, too. They have to agree."

Munkustrap nodded. He was confident the others would comply, especially if it was to keep me here.

"Once you have me under control, you have to take me somewhere else. Somewhere away from everyone."

Again he nodded.

"And if I get really bad, you have to hurt me,"

I knew this one wouldn't go over well. The look in his eyes faltered. "Surely it won't come to that?" he asked, horrified at the very thought of it.

"I noticed something yesterday. I was in a rage, but as soon as I felt pain, I snapped out of it. So, if I'm ever like that again…" I trailed off.

He nodded his understanding. "Alright. I agree. But I have a condition, too,"

I started. "What?"

He smiled. "You have to apologize, and explain, to Jenny,"

I grinned, and nodded. He lead the way back into the junkyard, where I did just that.

Throughout the next few weeks, I stayed close to my brother. He did everything he could to keep me from getting into a rage, and to keep others from doing so for me. Most of the time it worked, but once or twice he had to confine me within my den until I slept it off. I'm glad to say that no one was injured, minor or otherwise.

Before I knew it, it was time for the Jellicle Ball.

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**I know it was short. But the next one is really long, so it'll make up for it! =D Read on!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 2 of my uploading spree! Whee! =D **

**ENJOY!**

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**CHAPTER 6: CURSE**

We were dancing, and had been for a while, when it happened. My shoulder suddenly burst open again. This was the first time in a while, so it caught me by surprise. I stumbled a little, but still managed to stay upright. The song was winding down, so I snuck off to the nearest hiding place, which happened to be Munkustrap's den.

My arm felt like it was on fire. It burned so bad every movement felt like someone had lit me on fire. I sat down on his bed, breathing hard.

Footsteps followed me as soon as the song stopped. Munkustrap and Jenny came, of course. They hardly missed anything. Behind them was Misto.

"Are you alright?" Munkustrap asked.

"She's fine. She's only clutching her arm in agony…" Jenny replied for me, giving him a look.

I rolled my eyes. "Speaking of agony.." I said, getting their attention back onto me.

"Oh, sorry dear." Jenny said. She had me lay down, and slowly turned my arm over. I winced, breathing through my teeth.

She gasp, and took a step back. I glanced at her, then at the other two. They were staring at my shoulder in amazement. I followed their gaze. The wound in my shoulder had turned into a small, black hole in my skin, just low enough that I could see it.

"What is it?" I asked.

Jenny shook her head, as did Munkustrap. Misto however, didn't move at all. His eyes simply stayed fixed on the spot on my arm. I realized his look wasn't amazement. It was horror.

"Misto?"

He snapped out of it at the sound of his name. Now we were all looking at him.

"I…I've seen it before," He told us, hesitantly. "It's a curse,"

"A curse?" I repeated. "What kind of curse?"

"The worst kind."

"Can you do anything about it?" Munkustrap asked.

Misto looked uncertain. "I…I think so. But, I've only seen it done once."

"Only once?" Jenny said, the worry plain in her eyes. "And you didn't perform it yourself?"

Misto shook his head. It was easy to see that he was thinking hard about it. I noticed that he had begun to shake, ever so slightly. "The screams still haunt me…" he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut.

"What if we just left it alone? What would happen?" the orange tabby asked, a newfound worry lining her voice.

Misto didn't answer for a few seconds, but when he did, his voice was back to normal. "It would be hard. She'd have to have complete control over it. From what I've seen, she's barely got any. She'd have to be able to let it out every once in a while, and recap it."

"Why? Couldn't she just keep it locked away?" Interrupted Munkustrap.

"Because otherwise it would build up and overflow." he looked purposely at Jenny, and at the small, still healing cut on her nose.

We all got the meaning. If it were to overflow, if I couldn't control it, someone would get hurt. Bad.

I sighed. The pain was easing some, now that I wasn't moving around.

"What does the curse actually do?" Jenny cast me a worried glance, as if I were going to explode any second.

"It attaches itself to your insides, and feeds it's energy into you. I'm guessing this is the reason there are gaps in her memory. And why she healed so fast." explained Misto.

"And the headaches, and temper," added Munk.

Misto nodded.

"But why hasn't it shown up until now? She's been here for over a month, and this is the first we've seen of it." Munk reasoned.

"It comes around when I do something physical for a period of time," I grunted. Everyone turned to me. "When I walk, or run…or dance."

Misto nodded again. He looked pale, his normally sparkling eyes raging with conflict. There was something else. It didn't take me long to realize what it was.

"Misto, what'll happen if you…?" I began, but he interrupted me.

"We die," his voice wavered. He was scared, but was trying his hardest to hide it.

Jenny gasp again, and Munk went paler than Misto. "How hard would it be to get control over it?" the latter asked with an air of command.

I glared at him, already steps ahead. I was about to retort when Misto answered, "If this were a month ago, not hard. But now, it'll be extremely difficult, and will take a long time,."

"But it's not impossible, right?"

I finally cut in, fed up that they were, and had been, talking about me like I wasn't even there. "Take it out,"

Three pairs of eyes turned onto me. I glared at each one of them, and stopped on Misto.

I took a deep breath, not breaking eye contact with him. He blinked, and saw the determination that had sparked within me.

"Are you willing to risk your life for me?"

He hesitated a second longer, then nodded. "I'm ready."

Knowing my brother like I did, I quickly grabbed a small pillow from beside me and chucked it at him, cutting off the rant that had barely started. I stared him down when he glared back at me, hissing a little.

"I know what I'm risking." I said. "And don't think for a second that I don't. This way, I protect everyone."

"Except yourself," he growled.

I grinned some. "Look who's talking,"

He couldn't argue. He simply glared at me for a few more seconds. Then the expression melted, and he came over and licked me on the nose. "Good luck," he said, glancing from me to Misto.

"Wait a minute!" Jenny said, turning to Misto. "What about the kittens? And the other cats? They'll hear and come running!"

We sat in silence for a minute, then my brain clicked. "Munk, go play the loudest, fastest, most energetic music you can find, and get everyone dancing. And keep them dancing for as long as you can."

He nodded, getting my drift, then he went back outside, only pausing to wish us luck once again.

"Jenny, go, otherwise they'll know something's up." I said.

The older cat hesitated once more, then left, her face grim.

I sighed. "Alright. Let's do it,"

Misto nodded, then told me to lay down again. "Umm…maybe I should tie you down, so you don't thrash around and mess me up."

I gave him a look, but complied. He pulled some rope out of nowhere and proceeded to tie my arms and legs. Then he took a breath.

My adrenaline started pumping, which made my brain go into overdrive. "Wait," I said. He stopped. "Put a piece of cloth in my mouth. It'll muffle the sound, and keep me from tearing up my teeth."

He nodded, and did, giving me the cleanest he could find. "Ready?"

I dug my teeth into the soft fabric and nodded, squeezing my eyes shut.

I screamed when it first came, sudden and forceful. I felt like somebody had taken several daggers and was drilling them slowly into my joints and chest. Hot daggers. I couldn't get my breath, and every part of me felt like it was on fire. My brain began to go fuzzy, but I couldn't pass out. It wouldn't let me. After a few minutes of this torture, the pain doubled, and I screamed again. I couldn't help it. Now the daggers were stuck, and were making their way up and down my limbs. Tears streamed from my eyes, and my body convulsed.

I can't tell you how long it lasted. All I can say is it felt like forever, and that every time I started getting used to the pain, it doubled, causing me to scream out.

Eventually, I began to realize it was over, that the daggers had been taken out, and the wounds patched.

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**Yup. It was a curse! And don't forget, I don't mind you pointing out mistakes (as I'm sure there are some..). Don't forget to review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Number 3 of my uploading spree! Hey, that rhymed xD...anyways, excuse my dorkiness. Here's the next chapter!**

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**CHAPTER 7: STORM**

I opened my eyes. I wasn't tied down anymore, but I couldn't move. I could barely feel my body, but I was conscious of another body leaning against my back. We were both breathing hard, and sweating.

"Misto? You alright?" I asked, as soon as my mouth could work.

"Yeah. You?" he asked. He sounded exhausted.

"Yeah." I paused. "Why can't I move?"

"Side effect of the spell. We're both paralyzed,"

"Permanently?"

"No, only for as long as it took to get the curse out of you,"

"How long was that?"

"Not sure, twenty minutes?"

"Great," I sighed. There was nothing to do but let it take it's course. I tried moving again, but all I could do was raise my head a few inches.

We were silent for a minute, both still trying to catch our breath. Then he asked, "Well, did it work? Do you remember?"

I thought back, and the memory came flooding back to me.

"Oh, no."

"What?"

"He's going to kidnap Old Deuteronomy! Tonight,"

"Who?"

"It's…" I paused as someone came through the door. Then I sighed, "Jenny,"

"Jenny?" he replied, surprised.

"No, she just walked in,"

"Are you two alright?" Jenny asked, genuine worry highlighting her face.

"We're fine," Misto answered. "Just exhausted."

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed throughout the junkyard. All three of us jumped.

"I'm going to go see what's going on. You two stay here," Jenny said, dashing back outside, and muttering something about misbehaving kittens.

"Like we can go anywhere," I muttered, causing Misto to snort.

"Well, who was it?"

"Macavity," said a new voice. I looked to the door, and saw the Rum Tum Tugger standing there. He was the Mick Jagger of the Junkyard, the celebrity. He had a big mane, and walked with a swing in his hips. He also had leopard spots on his chest.

"Has he been here?" I asked, now raising my head as high as I could to stare him in the eye.

"Yeah. A couple times,"

"But everyone's still here, right? No one's missing?" I asked.

"No…why?" Tugger was being uncharacteristically serious. But then again, Macavity was a serious matter.

Suddenly, Jenny came back in. She looked frantic. "Old Deuteronomy! He's gone!"

"Gone?" Tugger asked, giving me a look.

"Macavity kidnapped him!" Jenny was close to tears.

We were all silent for a moment. This was quite possibly one of the worst things he could do.

"Hey, Misto? Couldn't you bring him back?" Tugger asked. "Like you did with that trick with the kittens not too long ago?"

I felt Misto try and sit up. He just barely managed it. "If I were stronger, yes, I'm sure I could….but I don't have…" He faltered and fell back down.

"Can you take some from us?" I asked, I tried to raise up a little higher, and found I could get my arms underneath me. I propped myself up on my elbows.

"Not from you," Misto and Jenny replied, at the same time. Tugger just shrugged.

I rolled my eyes. "I meant the other Jellicles. Surely if you take a little from everyone, it'll be enough."

Misto stayed still. Everyone was quiet, watching him. After a few minutes, he stood up, and walked over to Tugger. "Come on. I need your help."

They both ran out, leaving me to sulk. I still couldn't move, and staying down here didn't appeal to me.

"Jenny? Will you help me get to where I can see what's going on?" I asked.

She complied without an argument, which surprised me. She helped me get to the entrance of the den, then went to help Jellylorum take care of the other kittens, and keep them inside.

Only two queens were in sight. Demeter, a golden queen that Munkustrap usually had his eye on, and her sister, Bombalurina, a red cat with that was Tugger's only steady relationship. They were singing about Macavity, and almost done with the song.

I carefully looked over the Junkyard. There was no sign of him. No sign of the one who so often haunted my dreams.

They finished their song, and suddenly everyone was back. I noticed Munk and got up to go to him, but my limbs still resisted movement. I did manage to get outside the den, though.

His laugh then filled the air, sending a chill down my spine. He appeared across the yard, sending all the cats hissing or cowering. Munk placed himself in between Macavity and the rest of the tribe, and hissed the loudest.

Macavity gestured towards a place just to my right. I shrunk back, praying he didn't notice me. But he was too preoccupied to give me any attention. I turned and looked, and saw a couple of his Hench cats leading Old Deuteronomy back into the clearing.

I knew something was wrong the moment I saw him. Macavity wasn't the kind of cat that would give back Old Deuteronomy without getting what he wants. Everyone was gathering around Old Deuteronomy, and hugging him. I glared. This had to be a trap.

Obviously, Demeter thought so, too, because she scattered the cats by running at them. Everyone was giving her confused looks. Then she jumped on Old Deuteronomy's back and, uncharacteristically, he began to try and spin her off.

Then suddenly, it was Macavity standing there. All the cats scattered to the edges of the clearing. All except for Munk.

Macavity then scratched at him, and Munk stumbled. Macavity streaked past him and grabbed Demeter, intending on dragging her away. Munk grabbed her feet, and for a moment they had a tug of war. Then Alonzo had her, and took her to safety.

Munk and Macavity were circling each other, and everyone was intent on them. I snuck forward a little.

They attacked. There was a lot of scratching and biting. Once, Munk managed to throw the scarlet cat away from him. But that didn't work long. Munk tried to get him while he was down, but got tripped up and fell. Macavity was up like lightning, and managed to get a scratch under the silver tabby's chin.

Munk winced, but leaped away and tried to get steady, but Macavity was too fast for him, and slung him away, towards me. The cats there scattered, leaving me. Munk didn't get back up. Macavity noticed, and began to laugh. "Night, night," he muttered, moving in for the final blow.

Before I knew what I was doing, my haunches buckled, and I launched myself over my brother and locked my claws into Macavity's face. He struggled, but I kept digging in. Suddenly, someone seized me from behind, and threw me off. I twisted in the air and landed on my feet, then noticed that Alonzo and Mungojerrie had taken up the fight, along with some of the other older cats. They were driving him back.

He ran up on a pile of junk, and grabbed the wires to some of the lights. He struck them together and disappeared.

I moved to my brother, shoving a few of the kittens out of the way. I licked his face, while eyeing his wounds. He woke up, and looked at me. I grinned, and licked him again. He pressed his forehead to mine for a moment, then slowly crawled to the other side of the clearing. Demeter met him, and rubbed against him in thanks.

"We have to find Old Deuteronomy." the cats chorused.

"You ought to ask Magical Mr. Mistoffelees…" began an obnoxious voice from behind me. I spun to find Tugger relaxed on a crate. He was going on about how awesome Misto was, convincing the other cats to trust him.

When Tugger came down, I jumped on top of the tire that often was used as a stage. Munk and Demeter followed. I gave Munk a look over. There were several scratches down his side, and down his back. The one under his chin wasn't very deep, but I'm sure it stung. He also looked worn out, but I knew he wouldn't be able to stand it for much longer. Hopefully the ball would end soon.

He noticed me eyeing him. "I'm fine," he whispered. There was a little stress in his voice, and his eyes betrayed his pain.

"No you're not," I whispered back.

"Let me rephrase that. I'll live,"

I left it at that. I watched as Misto danced around, getting everyone involved, and excited. Then he pulled a large sheet out of the back of the old car, and called for silence. I could feel the tension in the air as he selected Cassandra, an Abyssinian who was an excellent dancer, as his assistant. He stood her in front of the pipe, and threw the sheet over her. She vanished behind it. Misto then pulled her towards the middle of the clearing, still covered in the sheet. He waved his hands over her, and pulled the sheet off, and out came Old Deuteronomy.

There was a collective gasp from the crowd. I jumped down from the tire, and, after smiling at Old Deuteronomy, snuck back over to Munk's den entrance, where I knew Jenny would come looking for me. I watched her, and saw her glance in my direction, flashing me a smile before turning back to Mistoffelees. After a few moments, Tugger ended the song about Mistoffelees, and he disappeared in a flash of bright light.

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**Yeah, it's the Jellicle Ball. This chapter actually started the whole story, because I thought that Macavity should have gone after Munkustrap while he was down. No, I don't hate Munk (he's actually my favorite character), but it's what I would've done. Then I would have gotten clobbered in the face, just like in here =D. Anyway, Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Last chapter! I'm soooo excited! I FINALLY FINISHED SOMETHING! *does little happy dance* Thank you to everyone who's read and/or reviewed this! I greatly appreciate it! (you have no idea how much!) Specially to HumanGuineaPig and Roselna! You guys rock! Special giant uber deluxe hugs and cookies to both of you! =D**

**By the way...this is the chapter where you find out who the narrator is! xP  
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**ON WITH THE END!**

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**CHAPTER 8:**

I watched the rest of the ball with little interest. The only interesting thing that happened was that Old Deuteronomy chose Grizabella, an old glamour cat that was shunned by everyone, to go to Heaviside. I joined in the very last song, if only because it was respectful to Old Deuteronomy and to the ball.

When we were done, Old Deuteronomy sat for a little while longer, and entertained the kittens. I stayed where I was, listening to him. Munkustrap soon found his way over, and lay down beside me.

"You look exhausted." I said, without taking my eyes off our father.

He sighed. "I am."

I grinned, turning to look at him. His ears were drooped, and his fur was messy. He wasn't looking at me, but at Father. "I guess I should thank you."

"Thank me?" I repeated, not knowing what he was talking about. I certainly hadn't done anything but get in trouble for the past few months.

He glanced at me. "For suggesting Mistoffelees. If you hadn't, we probably wouldn't have Old Deuteronomy right now, and Macavity would be in Heaviside."

"Who told you it was me who said that?" I asked, still confused.

"Tugger," he replied, with a smile. We both knew Tugger had a reputation to protect.

I laughed. "Oh,"

He suddenly turned and gently nuzzled me. "Thank you for saving me from Macavity," he stopped suddenly. I turned just in time to see him wince.

I grinned wider, and softly bit his ear. Then I began cleaning his wounds. He squirmed, so I reached up and bit harder. "Stay still."

"I'm fine," he whined, trying to get away.

I stood up, stretched, then sat down…on him. "You're such a kitten."

"Look who's talking." he muttered, as I began to work again.

I repositioned, which allowed him to get out from under me. I fell hard to the ground. He looked at me, a mixture of annoyance and amusement in his eyes.

I sighed. "Look, you take care of me all the time. Especially within the last few months. Can I please take care of you for once?"

He smiled, and lay back down. I began to clean him yet again. After a while, I noticed that Old Deuteronomy was watching us, smiling. The kittens had all gone to bed, as had most of the rest of the cats. Alonzo, the second in command, had left some time ago, to patrol, and to see off some of the other cats.

I also noticed that Munk had fallen asleep. His breathing was deep, and slow.

"Jemima, come here," Old Deuteronomy said, his voice quiet and gentle.

I gave Munk one last lick, and got up. I made my way to him, knowing I shouldn't be nervous, but I was none the less. I'd never had a chance to talk with him before, mostly because I was too little to remember.

He smiled, his eyes sparkling. "You don't have to be afraid. I am your father, after all."

I couldn't help but smile back. "I'm not scared,"

He laughed. "Of course not. Come up here, I want to get to know my daughter a little."

I complied, and we talked for a long time. I told him everything I'd been through, and everything else, as well. He laughed, and listened to all of it, with the patience only a father could have.

When I was finished, he smiled, and placed a paw on my head. "I couldn't be more proud of you. Not many kittens would attack Macavity, even to protect someone they love. Nor would they handle what you've been through as well as you,"

"Thank you, Father."

He looked to the sun, and saw how far it had risen. "It seems we've stayed longer than we should have. It's time for me to depart."

I helped him down and off to the edge of the Yard, where we met Alonzo, who offered to take Old Deuteronomy the rest of the way home.

"Thanks, Alonzo," I said, as he took some of my father's weight.

"Jemima." Father said, before they departed.

"Yes, Father?"

He gestured to the junkyard, and smiled hugely. "Take care of your brother."

I smiled back. "Of course."

I watched the two cats disappear around the corner, then headed back to the junkyard. Munkustrap was still asleep, and stretched out in the warm sun. I went to him, and curled up beside him. Gently, I lay my head on his. He cracked an eye and smiled, then went back to sleep.

I followed not long after, just happy to be me again.

* * *

**First, I'd looooove feedback as to what you all thought of this story! Second, THANK YOU AGAIN! YOU ARE WONDERFUL!**

**Signing off... for now...**

**Kayl  
**


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